Book Review: Shadows on the Stage

Reviewed by Victoria Lilly

A haunting, genre-blending exploration of how performance shapes our intimate lives, our relationships, and the fabric of reality itself

Edited by Nadine Brito and Claire Wallace, Shadows on the Stage is an ambitious anthology of short stories and poems united by a shared theme: performance. Spanning and fusing multiple genres including horror, fantasy, and science fiction, the anthology examines what it means to perform—not just on stage, but in the intimate theatre of everyday life. From the literal to the allegorical, from the mystical to the mundane, these works explore the myriad ways in which identity, illusion, and self-expression intertwine to bring about things both beautiful and dangerous.

The editorial vision, rooted in Brito’s and Wallace’s direct or indirect experiences in the visual arts, emphasizes the nature of performance as both a spectacle and an act of introspection. The principal introduction frames the book as a shared stage upon which writers, readers, and editors collaborate in a single act of creative communion. The “Note from the Poetry Editors” (by Alice Eaves and Charlie Hilton) further develops this idea, describing poetry itself as “a living and breathing thing,” a fluid performance of language that resists fixed definitions. This conceptual coherence gives the anthology intellectual heft; it reveals the fine thematic string tying the seemingly disparate pieces together.

The anthology is divided into five sections entitled “acts,” an organizing conceit that draws parallels to the world of theater and dramatic performance. Each act contains a blend of poetry and prose, moving fluidly between tones and genres. Early pieces such as Jo Marjoribanks’ “The Price” set the tone: a visceral story about a dancer’s physically agonizing devotion to her art, culminating in a performance that consumes both performer and audience. Similarly, Marco Etheridge’s “Splinters” reimagines the myth of Pinocchio as a macabre confession of identity and transformation, while Douglas Thompson’s “Fabian Dysart” explores the madness of celebrity and the thin line between acting and being. The collection’s many voices—from Emry Beattie’s folkloric verse to Claira Wilson’s elegiac “The Unkindness of Ravens”—offer an extremely wide array of styles, yet all grapple with the ambiguous space on the border of artifice and authenticity.

A major highlight of this collection lies the diversity of its contributors. Twenty-six international writers bring varied cultural and artistic perspectives. The result is a textured exploration of performance that ranges from postmodern satire to mythic allegory. The stories often blur genre boundaries, using speculative frameworks to interrogate contemporary issues: gender, power, artistic integrity, and the commodification of creativity. Many of the poems, too, act as small performances in themselves—rhythmic, incantatory, and emotionally charged.

Stylistically, Shadows on the Stage thrives on its variety. The pieces move from lyrical minimalism to lush gothic prose within pages, each transition offering a new emotional register. This multiplicity reflects the anthology’s theatrical metaphor—a series of acts, each with its own set, lighting, and tone. The editors have sequenced these pieces with an eye for rhythm, creating a flow that feels almost musical. The result is a reading experience akin to attending an avant-garde production: disorienting at times, but consistently engaging.

However, the book’s greatest strength is also its main weakness. The sheer range of tone and style, while impressive, can lead to unevenness. Some stories lean heavily on concept at the expense of character or even realization of a firm image, whereas a few poems read more as creative exercises than fully realized performances. The thematic link—performance—occasionally feels stretched to the extreme, particularly in those pieces where the connection is primarily symbolic, with nothing but the collection’s title hinting at the piece’s thematic thrust. There are moments when the anthology’s ambition risks overshadowing its accessibility; certain experimental entries might alienate readers seeking narrative cohesion. Yet even in its weaker moments, the anthology’s energy and sincerity sustain it.

In sum, Shadows on the Stage is a striking and sophisticated anthology that celebrates the intersection of performance as art, identity, politics, and imagination. Its strongest entries shimmer with originality and emotional depth, while its weaker moments serve as interludes in a larger, compelling performance. Though at times uneven, the anthology succeeds as both a showcase of international talent and a meditation on the very act of storytelling. Like the best theater, it lingers in the mind long after the curtain falls.

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